Former DC Cop Kenneth Furr Convicted In Trans Shooting Case

After a week long trial,  48 year old former Washington Metro police officer Kenneth D. Furr was found guilty of assault with a deadly weapon yesterday after an ugly August 26, 2011 incident in which he jumped on the hood of a car and fired five shots at its occupants. 

He was also convicted of solicitation but acquitted of the most serious charge he faced, assault with intent to kill.  

Furr was also acquitted of the six other offenses relating to that fateful August 2011 night that began with a rejected proposition to a transwoman at a NW Washington CVS store...  

Furr has been suspended without pay from Washington Metro PD and faces up to 10 years in jail and another 90 days for the solicitation charge.  Had he been convicted of all the charges he was facing he was looking at a potential 30 years in jail..

Furr has been in jail since the incident, and Judge Russell F. Caran ordered his release to the objections of prosecutors.  The Prince Georges County resident has also been ordered to undergo drug and alcohol testing and stay out of the District unless it is to consult with attorneys.

Sentencing for Furr will take place in January 2013.

Jury Selection Starts In Kenneth Furr Trial

I been keeping up with the ongoing case involving former Washington Metro PD officer Kenneth Furr.

You'll recall TransGriot readers that back in August 2011 an off-duty and inebriated Furr got pissed because a trans woman ignored his disrespectful proposition to her at a NW Washington CVS store.

He chased them down, jumped on the hood of their vehicle and used his service revolver to fire shots at them.  Furr was iindicted on March 7 for that incident which left two trans women and their male companion with thankfully non-life threatening injuries.

Furr's trial started on Monday.   He plead not guilty and jury selection is happening now.  Will keep you posted on what happens in it and if the transwomen and the male friend involved get justice.  

Scandal Season 2 Starts Tonight!

Y'all know how much I love Kerry Washington, and I'm looking forward to the start of the second season of the Shonda Rhimes produced ABC show Scandal starting at 9 PM CDT.

I also like Columbus Short and his character Harrison, too.

It cranks up tonight and picks up where it left off from that Season One ending cliffhanger episode.  It lets us know who Quinn Perkins really is, delves into her backstory and begins to answer the questions of what's up with Olivia and POTUS Fitz, how sprung is he over her (and vice versa) and is the FLOTUS actually pregnant?  

It'lll be interesting to see what clients and cases pop up requiring the special PR skills of Olivia and her team.  So yep, it's going to be another interesting season at Olivia C. Pope & Associates.

FLOTUS Keynote Speech At CBCF-ALC Phoenix Awards Dinner

A little history was made Saturday night as First Lady Michelle Obama became the first FLOTUS ever to do a keynote address at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Phoenix Awards Dinner.

The Phoenix Awards Dinner serves is the closing event for the CBC Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference, and honors four individuals for their contributions in addressing challenges facing the African-American community.

In case you're wondering who won those awards this year, it was Attorney General Eric Holder, Congresswoman Corinne Brown (D-FL), former Charlotte Mayor Harvey Gantt, and filmmaker George Lucas.

While the TransGriot was inside I-495 when it happened a mere subway ride away from me, I didn't go to this start studded event.   Neither did President Obama, who did the Phoenix keynotes in 2009 and 2010 but had campaign events elsewhere this year. 

But enjoy the video of our First Lady's speech .   And here's the link to the prepared remarks.

2012 OUT on the Hill-Day 4 Recap

Another beautiful day on Washington DC, but it's one with a hint of sadness for me because it's the last day of OUT on the Hill. 

It's also the last day of the CBCF-ALC which has its traditional 7 AM Prayer Breakfast.  This year it was featuring Bishop Noel Jones and Kim Burrell and Valerie and Carmarion attended it as the NBJC reps.

While that was going on at the Convention Center,  the NBJC General Session started at 9 AM as I anticipated the start of the 10:15 AM Blogger's Roundtable that includes myself, LZ Granderson, Danielle Moodie-Mills of threeLOL, Kimberley McLeod of ELIXHER, Derrick McMahon of the Anti-Intellect Blog, and Huff Po contributor Darnell Moore.

This was a continuation of the conversation that was started at the CBCF-ALC yesterday that was also focused on the topic of 'How the LGBT Equality Movement Has Impacted Black America and the Media Landscape.'   There was some interesting conversation concerning that topic before we broke for our lunchtime keynote speaker, the Deputy Director of the US Small Business Administration Eugene Cornelius. 

We also had a pleasant problem during this lunch that is the result of the rapid growth of OUT on the Hill.  For a breif moment we had a few more people than seats in the Delaware Room. but the NBJC staff and volunteers quickly solved that problem. 

And yes, Eugene is family.   He not only challenged us to own our economic power, but was part of an interesting discusssion moderated by Maurice Jamal that discussed the upcoming LGBT Economic Empowerment Tour that will be cosponsored by the NBJC/and SBA.

With the afternoon session came a dilemma for me.  Now that my panels were completed, I was a spectator and had to choose which one I attended because all three had interesting topics.

I eventually split time between the Healthy Bodies, Healthy Communities one and the Stemming The Tide of Aggression one before we headed into the OUT on the Hill closing session.   

With the closing session's end also signaling the end of OUT on the Hill 2012 activity at the host hotel, there was still a community mixer at FAB Lounge in the Dupont Circle area starting at 7 PM that I skipped so I could catch up on my blogging. 

Before she split for the CBCF-ALC dinner that the FLOTUS was attending, Sharon Lettman-Hicks did give us a sneak peek at one of the events that will take place during the 2013 OUT on the Hill

There will be a transman town hall similar to the one that we transwomen had this year.  It will also be NBJC's tenth anniversary next year with an OUT on the Hill that promises in just its fourth year to be bigger and better event than it was in 2012 .

And I definitely want to be participating in it next year.

2012 Out On the Hill-Day 4 Schedule

Darn, Day 4 got here pretty quickly and in 24 hours I'll be headed back to the Lone Star State.  But as the old saying goes, time flies when you're having fun and around some amazing Black LGBT leaders. 

While the CBCF-ALC is having their prayer breakfast from 7:30-10:30 AM, those who didn't want to (or couldn't get) tickets to that event have 8:00 AM-1:00 PM workshops and sessions to attend,

Meanwhile up the Metro line on our side of town in NW DC we' ll start a packed Saturday of OOTH events.  It starts from 9:00-10:00 AM with another OOTH 2o12 General Session which will be entitled The Future of the National Black Justice Coalition.

From 10:15-12:15 PM we'll have the Black LGBT Emerging Leaders Caucus entitled Taking a Seat at the Table: Energizing Black LGBT Youth to OWN Their Power  Another 10:15-12:15 PM session will be entitled Invisible No More: A Roundtable of Elders in the Black LGBT Community

The third one in that 10:15-12:15 PM time slot will be the second one I was invited to participate in, the Bloggers’ Roundtable: How the LGBT Equality Movement Has Impacted Black America and the Media Landscape From 12:30-2:30 PM we'll have our Keynote Luncheon with the title of The Great Recession: Harnessing the Collective Economic Potential of the Black LGBT Community 
When the Keynote Luncheon concludes, three more sessions in the 2:45-4:15 PM time slot

We Shall Not Be Moved:The Role of Faith in the Fight for Black LGBT Equality
Stemming the Tide of Aggression: Addressing Violence, Bias, and Hate Crimes in the Black LGBT Community
Healthy Bodies, Healthy Communities  Black LGBT Health: An Exploration of Current Trends and ChallengesThe closing 2012 Out On The Hill General Session will happen from 4:30-5:30 and focus on highlights of upcoming events .

And from 6:00-9:30 PM is another ticketed CBCF-ALC event, the CBCF-ALC Phoenix Awards dinner.  Yeah, I think I'll be chilling in the room at that time unless somebody in DC or OOTH has other ideas.

2012 Out On The Hill-Day 3 Schedule

Day 3 of Out On The Hill will be dawning in a few hours, and it's showtime at Out on the Hill for me and my fellow panelists today.   The CBCF-ALC will have their workshops and sessions from 8-5 PM today but I won't be there for them.

I'm part of the OOTH national town hall meeting that will run from  9:00-11:30 AM entitled Honoring and Protecting the lives of Black Trans Women.    It will be moderated by Laverne Cox and in addition to yours truly being on the panel, it also includes Rev.Carmarion Anderson, Valerie Spencer, Bali White, and

I get to do lunch and then from 2:30-4:30 PM for the second straight year the CBCF-ALC will have an NBJC sponsored forum entitled How The LGBT Equality Movement Has Impacted Black America and the Media Landscape.

Day 3 of Out on the Hill will conclude with an NBJC Board of Directors Reception

2012 OUT on The Hill-Day 2 Recap

Missed most of the action today since I was saying goodbye to Jeri that morning, eating breakfast at her house and prepping to move to the conference hotel.   I hoped I could  get it done before it was time for the Issue Advocacy Day to start at the Church of the Redemption at 12 noon EDT and then from there head over to Capitol Hill to Own Our Power.

I also had the option of heading downtown to the Walter Williams Convention Center to witness the opening of NBJC's Exhibit Booth at the 42nd annual Congressional Black Caucus Foundation-Annual Legislative Conference or CBCF-ALC in DC acronym speak.    That event was also starting at 12 noon EDT.

There was also the CBCF-ALC workshops schedule for that date of which the one I was interested in, a national Town Hall meeting moderated by Melissa Harris-Perry was scheduled for 9 AM, just as I was getting my behind up from the previous night's reception and chilling with Kimberley and Janet.

By the time I got packed, made the ride over with Jeri and checked into my room in the historic Marriott Wardman Tower it was 1:15 PM and I just decided to catch up on my blogging and take a nap before the 2012 Chairman's Reception.

You'll note I wrote the historic Wardman Tower.  In that part of the sprawling complex, by the elevators that led up to my third floor room was a black plaque hanging on the wall noting that one tine busboy Langston Hughes on November 27, 1925 nervously handed three of his poems to noted poet Vachel Lindsay while he was dining at the hotel's restaurant.  

Lindsay at a segregated event later that night in the hotel read those three poems Hughes left by his dinner plate and announced he'd discovered a talented Negro poet. 

The media picked up Lindsay's comments, remarked about the 'busboy poet' and the career of Hughes was born.  So yep, it was awesome as a writer to know that I was staying in the same hotel where Langston Hughes once worked.  

Speaking of work, back to this post.

At 7:00 PM the 2012 OUT on the Hill Chairman's Reception cranked up in Maryland Suites A, B and C.   Nice spread with a set up dance floor and DJ so we got to get our grub on, meet and greet each other and dance to tune courtesy of our DJ that covered a wide variety of music including soca from the Islands.
Since we were in DC, I requested EU's Da Butt.   Hey when in DC you gotta hear some Go-Go, so when the DJ honored my request and played it moments later, I hit the dance floor along with half the room  

Hopefully there aren't any incriminating pictures of me on the Net allegedly dancing way close to the floor..

Oh well, Day 2 over, two more to go.   

2012 Out On The Hill-Day 2 Schedule

In case you readers weren't aware of it, Out on the Hill also takes place during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Annual Legislative Conference which is held at the sprawling Walter Williams Convention Center. 

We OOTH attendees have the opportunity to attend the CBCF-ALC at a discounted rate, so for those of you who would like to attend that event, it's another reason you need to come to OOTH 2013 because it's always the same week as the CBCF-ALC  

What's on the schedule for Day 2 of Out on the Hill is the Grand Opening of the NBJC CBCF-ALC exhibit booth, a town hall moderated by Melissa Harris-Perry entitled Voting Rights and New Age Discrimination with the assorted CBCF-ALC workshops and session if you chose the option to attend them.   

It's also Issue Advocacy Day, so from 1-5 PM we'll be jumping on the Red Line and heading to Capitol Hill to talk to members of congress and their staffs about various issues before heading back to the hotel and getting ready for the OOTH Chairman's Reception starting at 7:00 PM

2012 Out On The Hill-Day 1 Schedule

Thanks to the magic of the auto-post feature, while I'm sleeping I get to tell y'all about Day 1 of this conference and why I eagerly flew 1500 miles to get here. 

It's the day I have been eagerly awaiting since the Save the Date announcement went out. 

It's the first day of Out on the Hill 2012 and on the agenda from 9:00 AM-12:30 PM EDT will be the Opening General Session and welcome to Washington DC.  I'm looking forward to it because I not only get to see my NBJC fam,  I get to see who's here for OOTH 2012..

Anyway, focus Moni.   We then head to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and Black LGBT Leaders Day at the White House from 1-5 PM   Last year we got a surprise visit from Valerie Jarrett.. Who will it be from the POTUS's staff this year?   

We move on from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building to a legislative issues briefing and networking reception from 6-9 PM entitled Building Black LGBT Political Power In Our Nation's Capitol.

Check with y'all in a few hours..

TransGriot's Finally In DC!

Well TransGriot readers, (and Mom) made it to Washington DC after enduring a two hour delay getting to Baltimore due to  weather in the Washington-Baltimore area. 

I did have some ATC delays navigating out of Jacksonville before I finally arrived in Baltimore two hours later

And I love the fact the Metro Red Line's Woodley Park station is right across the street from the host hotel grounds.  

Yeah right, like I'm going to be spending a lot of time in the room, much less at my friend's house.  Being that I'm considered one of the activist cool kids, I have business to take care of while I'm inside I-495.  I have Friday and Saturday night panel discussions and other things to do in Washington DC that coincide with the 2012 edition of OUT On The Hill.

And yes, a few of my Facebook friends in the area made it clear they want to see me while I'm in town.

I would have loved to have been here for the pre-conference Congressional Tri-Caucus event that was held earlier today from 10-11:30 AM EDT entitled Closets Are For Clothes: Being LGBT and POC in America but to accomplish that I would have needed to leave Houston yesterday and had too many last minute loose ends to deal with Monday

I'm going to crash since it's been a long travel day and Moni needs her beauty sleep.

If I get some time, will tell y'all all about Day One of OUT On the Hill

Leaving On a Jet Plane-DC Bound Again

Been piling up the frequent flyer miles this summer and loving every minute of it as you TransGriot readers have noticed. 

My trips have basically been for one community event or another.

Whether it was the first ever trans themed panel discussion at Netroots Nation, the double secret trip I took to DC for business I still can't talk about,  the one to Charlotte to do the keynote address for the TransFaith In Color conference or the GLAAD National POC Media Institute in New York I not only felt blessed to be at all these events this summer representing our community, I not only enjoyed them, but loved seeing my trans and SGL peeps. 

Getting out of Houston's blast furnace heat for a few days is a bonus, although July was the coolest summer month on record for us and it's been in the high 80's-low 90's temperature wise for the last few days..

This time I'm bouncing from H-town to go back to Washington DC and inside I-495 for the third annual edition of Out On The Hill.  I'm looking forward to it, hanging with my National Black Justice Coalition family, my Black trans and SGL peeps my freinds in the area and participating in the two panel discussions I'm slated for.  

Oh yeah, will be making a major activism announcement while I'm up here. 

If I get the time or opportunity to hit a computer will talk about what happening at Out On The Hill 2012.  And DC area Facebook friends, I'll be here until Sunday.

Time to get the beauty sleep.    See y'all in a few hours Chocolate City.

NBJC OUT On The Hill Host Committee Gearing Up For Biggest Summit Ever

I can testify to how much work is involved in putting together a conference like OUT On The Hill, having done it while organizing the 2005 and 2006 Transsistahs-Transbrothas ones in Louisville. 

The National Black Justice Coalition has done a masterful job at the planning and execution of this event over the last two years and the 2012 one looks to be the biggest one yet.  As the reputation of the quality of it grows and word of mouth and publicity about OUT on The Hill continues to expand amongst Black LGBT people and our allies about this unapologetically Black conference of Black trans and SGL leaders, it's also time that the OUT On The Hill Host Committee get a little love as well.

OUT on the Hill Host Committee members have been working closely with other distinguished Black LGBT leaders and activists to contribute their time and talents to the event and encourage others to do the same. Host Committee members are integral to making OUT on the Hill a success.              

This year's OUT on the Hill Host Committee members include: Shaun Allende, UDC OUTLAW; Brandynicole Brooks, DC Child and Family Services Agency; Ashlee Davis, Emerging Leader; Rev. MacArthur Flournoy, Human Rights Campaign (HRC); Robby Gregg, Diversity Thought Leader; Monique Hall, DCI Group; Rev. Cedric Harmon, Many Voices; Rev. Candy Holmes, Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC); Huston Inniss, National Coalition for LGBT Health; Bakari Jones, Bois of Baltimore; Katheryn King, U.S. Bank; Stacey Long, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force; Samantha Master, Morgan State University; Aisha Moodie-Mills, Center for American Progress; Rev. Darlene Nipper, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force; Donna Payne, Human Rights Campaign (HRC); Jeffrey Richardson, DC Mayor's Office of LGBT Affairs; Maya Rupert, National Council for Lesbian Rights (NCLR); Twaun Samuel, Office of Congresswoman Maxine Waters; Andre Wade, National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH); Rev. George Walker, Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute/Victory Fund; Lauren Waters, Emerging Leader; and Isaiah Wilson, Office of Congressman Steve Rothman.   

Thanks Host Committee for the work you collectively put in to make OUT On The Hill a success and I'm looking forward to seeing y'all on Tuesday. 

Ads In DC Trans Respect Campaign Launched

I talked about it last month when the Washington DC Office of Human Rights decided in reaction to the string of ugly anti-trans incidents and murders in the District to launch a first of a kind anti-trans discrimination campaign.

This first of several posters of DC trans and gender variant people who are spokespeople for this campaign were released.  The one featuring DC transwoman Kisha quotes her saying, "I love wandering through Smithsonian museums, eating on H Street with friends, and going to shows at Howard Theatre."

It mentions the tagline for the campaign: "I’m a transgender woman and I’m part of DC. Please treat me the way any woman would want to be treated: with courtesy and respect."

The poster then points out discrimination based on gender identity and expression is illegal in the District of Columbia under its Human Rights Law and provides a website and phone number (202) 727-4559 to get more information.or report anti-trans discrimination

The formal launch for the campaign happened last night with an event attended by DC Mayor Vincent Gray.

“This District is committed to ensuring that all people are protected from discrimination, and that includes discrimination against the transgender and gender-non-conforming communities,” said Mayor Gray. “This landmark campaign from the Office of Human Rights is an important piece of a larger effort by my administration to ensure all residents have equal access to employment, housing and public services and accommodations regardless of gender identity or expression.”

As for the spokesmodel's thoughts on the campaign, Kisha approves of the message and thinks it will have a positive effect on the city..

"I think it’s going to have a great impact," she said. "The fact that it is going to be right there in your face. People will see transgender people. They’re going through everyday life, everyday struggles — the same as straight people, rich people, everyone. Getting the message out there … is going to be great."

The rest of your transpeeps around the country think it's great, too.   Major props to the DC Office of Human Rights and DC Mayor Vincent Gray for making it happen.

9-11 Eleventh Anniversary

Today is as many of us in the States are aware of the eleventh anniversary of the al-Qaeda triggered terror attacks on this date in 2001.   Four passenger jets were hijacked and crashed into the World Trade Center towers in New York, and the Pentagon outside Washington DC from 8:46 AM EDT to 10:28 AM EDT 


Another attack on the US Capitol building was foiled when the passengers on that hijacked Flight 93 attempted to take it over and it crashed in a field near Shanksville, PA.  

Many of us remember what we were doing on the morning of September 11, 2001 as we tried to get news about the extent of the attacks and the developing chaotic situation.   The attacks killed nearly 3000 people, resulted in the failure and collapse of both World Trade Center towers and severe damage to the Pentagon.

US airspace was closed at 9:45 AM EDT, resulting in the rerouting of inbound international passenger aircraft to Canada and the initiation of Operation Yellow Ribbon.

The mastermind of the attack, Osama bin Laden now lies at the bottom of the Arabian Sea in an undisclosed location after he was finally caught in Abbbotabad, Pakistan by SEAL Team 6 on May 1, 2011. A national memorial has been built and dedicated on that site and a new 1,776 foot tower is rising in the New York skyline

But even though it has been eleven years since that horrific day, the memories of it have yet to fade from our collective national consciousness and probably wont for a long time.. 

NBJC Newsletter-Out On The Hill 2011 Recap Edition

The latest edition of the NBJC Newsletter is out, and if you're wondering why I'm so excited for the third edition of Out On The Hill to begin September 19-22, check out this one recapping the events of Out On The Hill 2011.   You may even see a certain blogger from Texas in a photo or two

And no, it's not too late to register for Out On The Hill.   If you do, you'll be glad you did.   

I'm taking part in two panel discussion during this edition of Out On The Hill in addition to finally getting to meet Laverne Cox after we missed each other while I was in New York.  

And yes, NBJC family, I'm deliriously happy I get to spend quality time with you once again and everybody else inside I-495 (AKA the Capitol Beltway).

And while I'm there I have an activism related announcement I'll be making during that weekend, so stay tuned.

See y'all September 19-22.

2012 Out On The Hill-Countdown To Owning Our Power

Now that the calendar page has flipped to September, the days are rapidly counting down to the third annual edition of the National Black Justice Coalition's Out On The Hill conference. 

I'm looking forward to being with my trans and SGL family and friends as we own our power in inside I-495 once again from September 19-22..

If you haven't registered yet, might be a good idea to do so since Out On The Hill is going to be chock full of informative panel discussions, forums, lobbying events and opportunities for you to meet and talk to Black LGBT leaders and as Sharon Lettman-Hicks loves to say, own your power.. 

If you think I'm kidding about that, check out this event schedule. 

Last year was my first Out on the Hill which I was covering in my role as a blogger.  The cool thing about it is that it takes place during the  Congressional Black Caucus Foundation-Annual Legislative Conference event which I also got to attend for the first time. 

I got to meet many of the persons in the LGBT movement during this week and countless others. I was honored to be able to participate in a panel discussion at Washington's DC's City Hall concerning the violence my DC transsisters were facing.   I got to meet some of our emerging young leaders and yes, I did get to play tourist for a moment and see the MLK, Jr Memorial which is now a year old.  

I also had some thought provoking conversations with various Black leaders and allies inside and outside the trans and SGL community.  There was also the unexpected one in which I represented the national trans community at the local vigil held for Gaurav Gopalan.   

And yes, my time at Out on the Hill triggered a lot of reflection and hard solid thinking on my part about the state of the Black trans community.  I discussed our Black trans elders, and the state of the community in Texas and Houston when it was time to come back home.    

The countdown to the 2012 Out On The Hill has begun, and I',m looking forward to seeing what happens this year.

Deoni Jones Case Update

I posted back on February 12 that 55 year old Gary Niles Montgomery was arrested and charged with second degree murder while armed in the February 2 stabbing death of Deoni Jones. 

Since that last post, Montgomery has been in jail without bond.

He has undergone mental status hearings that declared him competent to stand trial back on March 23. and has another upcoming felony status hearing on August 31.

So as of this writing Montgomery is still on a legal glide path that will probably result in him being tried for Deoni Jones' murder. 

I'll keep tracking this case, and as new details on this case become available to me I'll post them here until justice is served for our fallen sister.

Stephanie and Ukea-Ten Years Later

TransGriot Note: I was originally just going to publish this piece here, but decided it needed a major signal boost.   Since HuffPo Gay Voices extended me an invitation to write for them, I decided to have it posted there as well since the 10th Anniversary of the execution style killings of Stephanie Thomas and Ukea Davis and the fact their killers are still walking around free needed to be pointed out.

On August 12, 2002 on the same 50th and C Street corner in SE Washington DC in which the car accident occurred that eventually took Tyra Hunter's life due to medical transphobia, transteens Stephanie Thomas and Ukea Davis died in a hail of automatic gunfire.

Ten years later, this double murder still hasn't been solved.  It saddens me and other DC area transpeople who remember that horrific crime that it hasn't..

As I said in the 2011 post I wrote at my home blog on the 9th anniversary of this despicable murder:

These young sisters died because somebody hated them so much for transitioning that they felt they had the right to violently terminate their lives.  I don't want people or the trans community to forget what happened to these young African descended transwomen or why they are no longer here on planet Earth with us.

I also want the wastes of DNA who committed this heinous crime to be brought to justice not just for me, the trans community of DC and around the world, but Stephanie's mother as well.    .

Someone in that neighborhood knows or heard something that will facilitate the arrest and conviction of the people who did this.   They belong in jail, not walking around in society.

19 year old Stephanie and 18 year old Ukea's lives were extinguished before they even had a chance to live them.  Both of them would be approaching their thirties right now.  I wonder what dreams and aspirations they had for themselves they never got to fulfill?  What kind of contributions to our society did we lose because somebody hated Stephanie and Ukea enough to kill them for openly living their trans lives?

That's what angers me every time I contemplate their loss and the loss of every transperson to anti-trans violence.  It's also what drives me to ensure that no more mothers like Queen Washington have to witness their trans child being buried or mothers who have trans children fearing the same thing will happen to their kids.

Stephanie and Ukea, know that you ladies are not only not forgotten by the trans community and all who loved you.  The trans community in Washington DC and around the country won't rest until the people who killed you are brought to justice. 

We also won't rest until we create a world in which trans youth can come out, dream big dreams and simply live their lives just like any other cisgender kid does

.

Tyra Hunter 17th Anniversary

I was barely sixteen months into my own transition when I heard the shocking news coming out of Washington DC on August 7, 1995 about an African-American transwoman who died there.

Why do I remember this particular transwoman out of sadly the hundreds who have died since that date?   It's because Tyra's death was unnecessary. 

It was also because of the way she died. 

Tyra Hunter didn't die at the point of a gun or a knife, she died because of medical transphobia   The transphobe who was responsible for her untimely death was wearing the uniform of a Washington DC Fire Department EMT. 

She died from injuries she received in a car accident at 50th and C Streets in SE Washington DC because Adrian Williams failed to remember at the time Ms Hunter was one of the District's residents he was trained and supposed to help.  

Sadly that same DC street corner would see two more African-American transwomen die there under a hail of automatic weapons fire just seven years later in the persons of Stephanie Thomas and Ukea Davis.

Tyra's death and my shock and anger over it would be one of the cumulative events that began to nudge me towards becoming the trans activist I am today.   It was a wake up call that as an out trans African-American I needed to do more to start educating my people that we existed, we're part of the kente cloth fabric of the African-American community and we deserved recognition of our human rights.

Tyra, while you left us far too soon, you'll be happy to know that you are not forgotten.   As long as TransGriot exists, I won't let people forget what happened to you on that day and I and others are working to ensure it never happens to another transperson ever again.